The Nugg Doctor follows the Denver Nuggets exclusively and sometimes provides glimpses back into some classic NBA and ABA historical moments. He is constantly compiling knowledge to his NBA IQ. He is always looking for more ways to amaze his fans with his eclectic knowledge. Don't see your favorite pro? No sweat, just request that the Nugg Doctor writes up an article on them so they aren't forgotten! Be sure to check the archives for legends your memory might need some refreshing on.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is December 2nd, and on this day:

'54- Frank Selvy of the Milwaukee Hawks, in a game against the Minneapolis Lakers at Fort Wayne, hit 24 of 26 free throws, both NBA rookie records for free throws attempted and made in a game.

'78- Golden State Coach Al Attles captured his 400th career victory, only the 10th coach in NBA history at the time to achieve that feat, as the Warriors beat the Suns 116-108 at Phoenix.

'86- The Washington Bullets beat the Boston Celtics 117-109 to end the Celtics’ homecourt winning streak at 38 games. Although the game was played at the Hartford Civic Center instead of the Boston Garden, it still counted as a home contest for the Celtics.

'93- The Houston Rockets, paced by Hakeem Olajuwon’s 37 points and 13 rebounds, registered a 94-85 victory at New York for the team’s 15th straight win to start the season, tying the all-time NBA record set by the Washington Capitols at the start of the 1948-49 season. The Rockets’ streak ended with a 133-111 loss at Atlanta the next night.

'96- Houston’s Clyde Drexler became the fifth player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career steals, after picking up four against Toronto. Drexler retired with 2,207 steals.

'97- The Washington Wizards began a new era when they opened the doors to the downtown MCI Center in a matchup against Seattle.

'99- William “Pop” Gates, one of the greatest players of the 1930s and 1940s barnstorming era of basketball died of heart failure. Gates, who was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989, earned acclaim as a player-coach of the Harlem Globetrotters in the 1950s. But those who played against him during the earlier era place him among the best of his time.